Event Details

Ben Pickering, SoMedia Networks

GROW Your Business

Ben has been involved with online media and software since 1998, from start-ups to Fortune 500 public companies. He loves working with passionate, entrepreneurial people to help build technology-enabled businesses.

Recently Ben joined SoMedia Networks, a pioneer of cloud-based video production and marketing solutions, as President and COO. Before SoMedia, Ben was CEO of Strutta, where he built the company into a leading SaaS social media marketing platform, which was recently acquired by LX Ventures. He established Strutta as an early Facebook Preferred Developer and developed the company's strategic partnership with ExactTarget, part of Salesforce.com. Prior to Strutta, Ben held several strategic roles at Yahoo!, which encompassed business development, product strategy and operations in both the company's Audiences and Advertising divisions. Previously he worked in the strategic partnerships group at eBay and was an early employee at Spinway, a pioneering free Internet service provider that was acquired by United Online.

Ben sits on the Board of Directors for privately held Embarcadero Media and has also been an active advisor to a number or early stage technology companies including Summify, which was acquired by Twitter. Ben has been named a Top 40 Digital Strategist by Online Marketing Institute and has spoken and written extensively on the topics of digital and social media for the likes of Huffington Post and Mashable. Ben earned a bachelors degree in Economics and an M.B.A., both from Stanford University.

Agenda

6:30

Networking and Food

7:30

Fireside Chat

8:30

Networking

Hosted By

Cheryl Mack, Vancouver Chapter Director

Cheryl Mack recently graduated from Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia with a business degree in Marketing. In 2009 she founded a hiking and walking tours business, Bowen Tours, a venture that subsequently failed. She has spent the last 2 years working with companies like Microsoft and Blackberry to develop innovative and high-tech marketing projects, and currently working on her 3rd startup (which has yet to have a name). She's also an avid front-end designer for many small business websites and lives in Vancouver, BC.

Hosted By

Cheryl Draper, Ottawa Chapter Director

Cheryl has been living the startup life since 2008 when she co-founded Boxseat Suite Management. She has spent more than a decade in Events, Marketing & Partnership Activation. She was a founding member of Startup Weekend Ottawa & StartupOttawa.ca as well as a Curator at StartupDigest & StartupGenome. She is currently the Community Manager at Invoke Labs and calls Vancouver, Canada home. When she is not herding cats, she likes to drink tea, spend time with family & friends and travel.

Global Partners

Google is committed to empowering entrepreneurs around the world through programs, partnerships, and our products.

Local Partners

Invoke Labs is a business building company that equips new digital ventures for long-term success. Invoke Labs was born out of Invoke, the award-winning digital innovation company and creators of Hootsuite, Food.ee and memelabs. We partner with smart people with compelling ideas to help them realize their potential.

Natural Source enhances corporate culture and quality of life in offices, by providing healthy, eco friendly food solutions. Specializing in local, all-natural healthy options, we give your staff what progressive Vancouverites crave, as well as what their bodies need to perform at maximum efficiency. Our custom high quality food programs are specific to our client’s requirements, and we supply all necessary equipment (high-end appliances, shelving units, vending machines, etc) if required. Our goal is to provide a convenient and nutritious fuel source to help keep your employees happy, healthy and at maximum productivity.

Sandwich delivery is all the rage in England—you can set your watch by lunch delivery in London. After living in Brighton, Lillie brought the idea home to Vancouver. People here are just as bored with their brown bag lunches and it rains a lot. Sandwich delivery means the Bettys get soaked. But better us than you, right?

What is Startup Grind?

Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. We host monthly events in more than 50 cities and 20 countries featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share personal stories and lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Our monthly fireside chat interviews, startup mixers and annual conferences provide ample opportunities to connect with amazing startups and the people behind them, tap into a strong support network, form meaningful connections and gain inspiration for the startup journey ahead. For more information visit StartupGrind.com or follow us on twitter @StartupGrind.

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